Mallard Drake

[Enrique Patino]

Still going through old images. I took this in December 2012. hope you like it

136629

7D, 700mm, 1/1000 @ f/8, ISO 800, HH, manual, spot metering, cropped for comp.

comments welcome

[John Robinson]

Thats a great mallard shot Nice to see a bird we have. Our town river is alive with them( but they don't like like this !!)
Like the reflection (unusual for me) and the exposure control is good throughout the whole range. Lovely shot.
Cheers
John

[Daniel Cadieux]

A handsome but much ignored bird by bird photographers. Unfair really as they are as pretty as they come, if this was a rare species people would line up to take its picture! Nice light, and beautiful background. I'd have preferred less space at right and more at left because that it where it is looking towards.

[Enrique Patino]

Thanks Johnny and Daniel for your comments...

Thanks for the suggestion about spacing Daniel. Giving space to where the bird is looking is something that perhaps I need to pay more attention to... This is not the first time this comes up for me... but is the bird really looking to the left or is its bill simply pointing that way?

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the pose, sharpness, exposure and water colour. I agree with Daniels composition suggestion.

[Enrique Patino]

I like the pose, sharpness, exposure and water colour. I agree with Daniels composition suggestion.

Thanks Jim... maybe my OP comp was affected by watching the bird stretch, turn to look at me (a second before this frame) and then swim towards the right side... I'll try it as you suggest and see if I like it better... thanks!

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thanks Johnny and Daniel for your comments...

Thanks for the suggestion about spacing Daniel. Giving space to where the bird is looking is something that perhaps I need to pay more attention to... This is not the first time this comes up for me... but is the bird really looking to the left or is its bill simply pointing that way?

You're welcome! I almost always like to give more room towards where the bill is pointing. To me the direction the bill is pointing is where the bird is looking whether it really is or not.:S3: